Who is Vipraj Nigam? 3 interesting facts about DC debutant who took a wicket in his first over vs LSG in IPL 2025 clash

Uttar Pradesh's bowling all-rounder Vipraj Nigam made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for the Delhi Capitals (DC) during their clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday, March 24, in Visakhapatnam.

Nigam started off his IPL career by picking up a wicket of experienced batter Aiden Markram. He bowled a flighted delivery and invited the South African to play a big shot. However, Markram failed to get the desired connection and holed out at the long-off region.

However, Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran hammered him a combined four sixes in his second over. In two overs, the right-arm spinner conceded 35 runs, while taking a solitary wicket. Thereafter, he slammed 39 off 15 and played a key role in the side's thrilling victory.

On that note, let's take a look at three key facts about DC's fresh recruit, Vipraj Nigam.

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#1 Made a strong impression in Col C K Nayudu Trophy 2024

Vipraj Nigam produced an all-round performance for Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 edition of Col C K Nayudu Trophy 2024, which witnesses competition between the U23 sides of 38 sides across the country.

In eight games, Nigam bagged 35 wickets in eight appearances, with six four-wicket hauls. Although he finished with a total of seven wickets in the final, UP emerged as the runner-up after they conceded a first-innings lead.

Nigam also displayed his batting skills, scoring 364 runs at an average of 36.40, with a top knock of 84*.

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#2 Vipraj Nigam shot to fame in UP T20 League 2024

Uttar Pradesh T20 League 2024 proved to be the perfect platform for Vipraj Nigam to showcase his talent. While representing Lucknow Falcons, the leg-spinner emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker with 20 scalps in 11 games. He registered his best figures of 5/19.

In an interview with Times of India, Nigam expressed his happiness about his performance in the tournament and wished to feature in the IPL. He said:

"Leg spin demands dedication and hard work. In this league, my bowling yielded results, as I claimed 20 wickets in 11 matches. I am committed to refining my skills and improving upon this performance."

"I am content with my performance in the UP T20 League. Like every player, I want to be a part of the IPL or UP team but the decision lies in the hands of selectors. My job is to perform to the best of my abilities, which I am doing," he added.

The performances certainly bore fruit for Vipraj Nigam, as he was bought for ₹50 lakh by the Delhi Capitals in November 2024.

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#3 Took UP to quarterfinals of SMAT with an explosive finish

A couple of weeks later after his acquisition by DC, Vipraj Nigam showed his capability as an all-rounder for UP in the preliminary quarterfinal game of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Nigam finished with figures of 2/20 to restrict the Andhra Pradesh side to 156. He then smashed 27* off eight deliveries and stitched together an unbeaten 48-run stand with Rinku Singh to help the team qualify for the quarterfinal. However, UP was outclassed by Delhi in the quarterfinal, losing by 19 runs.